Of all the colours of the year (also known as COTY) that drop around this time of the year from the various brands, it’s Pantone’s that we impatiently await for to define the colour trends for the upcoming 12 months. This year Pantone has revealed it's colour of the year 2025 as Mocha Mousse.
The gourmand shade is inspired by cacao and coffee as reflected in its delicious name. Even Pantone’s official imagery of their new COTY mirrors this foodie inspiration as a coupe glass filled with chocolate mousse is the star of the show.
It’s a warming, smooth and soft brown hue that is set to influence everything from paint trends to fashion and even living room colour schemes given its cocooning feel.
Given the expected colour trends and the predicted colour palette for 2025 of dark and earthy shades I’ve been seeing everywhere as of late, a brown shade was indeed my top guess for the new Pantone COTY, the 26th one from the global colour authority. So imagine my excitement when my prediction was confirmed!
Why is Mocha Mousse the Pantone COTY for 2025?
Compared to the almost unexpected lightness and brightness of Pantone’s 2024 colour of the year, Peach Fuzz, the grounding Pantone Mocha Mousse shade reflects the current mood and desire for nurturing homes, cosy living room ideas and the like.
‘Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence,’ says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. ‘Sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time an unpretentious classic, Mocha Mousse extends our perception of the browns from being humble and grounded to embrace the aspirational and luxe. Infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement, it presents a discrete and tasteful touch of glamour. A flavourful brown shade, Mocha Mousse envelopes us with its sensorial warmth.’
It’s about the simple everyday pleasures like coffee and chocolate, as well as the connection to the earth as this shade marries both.
How to use Mocha Mousse in your home?
I’ve already been seeing the colour brown popping up in interiors repeatedly in the last few months, especially in living rooms. And today’s announcement means we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of it.
‘Pantone’s Mocha Mousse is a warm, earthy shade that feels perfectly in tune with the growing desire for comforting and grounding interiors,’ says Uriel Tannen, Flitch co-founder and colour expert.
‘Its versatility makes it a brilliant backdrop for both traditional and contemporary spaces, pairing beautifully with neutrals, muted pastels, and even bolder tones like deep navy or forest green. In 2025, I think we’ll see more homeowners gravitating toward these cocooning shades, embracing a sense of calm and understated elegance that reflects a shift towards more mindful living.
'It’s a colour that invites relaxation, making it ideal for living rooms, bedrooms, and cosy corners alike.’
But given its gourmand inspiration, I’d say this brown shade would work in a kitchen colour scheme just as well. It’s likely we’re even looking at the newest kitchen colour trend.
My top Mocha Mousse homeware picks:
I've had my eye on this lamp design from H&M for a while now because for just £35, it looks designer. But I couldn't quite decide on what colour to go for - I think we know the answer to that now.
As chance would have it, I've included Little Greene's Affogato paint in our colour palette for 2025 piece without even knowing Mocha Mousse was going to be the Pantone COTY of 2025. And I stand by the fact that this is the perfect delicious shade to coat your walls with, inspired by the Italian dessert combining coffee and ice cream.
Why not cover your bed in the Mocha Mousse goodness with the help of this bed linen set by M&S? One of the brand's bestsellers, this bedding set is not only right on-trend with its cocooning shade, its brushed cotton finish is also perfectly soft and warming for this cold time of the year.
Given that Pantone's imagery introducing its new colour of the year focuses largely around texture, I think it's only right to honour that with textured home accessories like this Dunelm cushion in the perfect Mocha Mousse shade.
You can incorporate just a hint of this new trending colour into your home with something as subtle and discreet as this delicate, ribbed vase from George Home made with brown-coloured glass.
It's getting chillier by the day - and I think throws and other soft furnishings are the perfect opportunity to bring some of this grounding yet delicious shade into your home. This BHS throw with a cosy teddy fleece finish will do the trick!
What are your thoughts on the new trend-setting colour – is it a yay or nay from you?
